


Teaching Cas Sledding (And Other Things)

by amethystviolist



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Actually neither is Sam, First Kiss, Fluff, Jess isn't in for long, Kissing, M/M, No Sex, Snow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-22
Updated: 2015-02-22
Packaged: 2018-03-14 12:55:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3411410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amethystviolist/pseuds/amethystviolist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>So Dean Winchester is kinda a coward, so what? It doesn't stop him from having a day out sledding with his crush. It doesn't stop him from sharing hot chocolate. It doesn't stop him from kissing Cas- Oh wait. That's where the coward part comes in. Maybe a snow day (and a loudmouth little brother) will help with that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Teaching Cas Sledding (And Other Things)

**Author's Note:**

> Literally this is nothing but fluff and should be read with your own cup of yummy hot cocoa. Author's orders. Do it.
> 
> Based very loosely off my own adventures earlier this week when I got snowed in at my best friend's house.

When Sam first noticed the fat, white flakes floating down in front of the widow, Dean watched his eyes widen almost comically.

“Dean!” the younger boy cried, spinning around to face his brother with hazel eyes the size of saucers. “Dean, look! Look, there’s snow! Dean, Dean, Dean, can we go sledding, can we, can we, pleeeeeease?” With a chuckle, Dean nodded.

“Go get on something warm, Sammy, I’ll get the sleds,” the teenager replied, ruffling Sam’s hair. Sam grimaced and ducked away, trying in vain to smooth the brown locks back into place.

“It’s _Sam_ ,” he whined. “’Sammy’ was the name you called me when I was in elementary school.”

“And I should change that now just ‘cause you’re a big old middle-schooler?” Dean smirked. Sam stalked back toward his room, leaving a stream of incoherent grumbling in his wake. The smirk still plastered on his face, Dean threw on his biggest jacket and yanked on a pair of heavy boots, adding a patterned green and white scarf as a final warm touch.. Just as he opened the door to head down to the basement where the sleds were kept, the doorbell buzzed. Dean paused and looked toward the door with confusion. Who would tramp through the icy roads and several inches of snow on a day like today? He unlocked the door and pulled it inward, revealing a girl with damp blonde curls and excited blue eyes peeking out from underneath a knit blue hat.

“Hi,” she said happily. “Is, uh, is Sam home?” Dean blinked, slightly taken by surprise, but nodded.

“Yeah, uh, one sec... SAMMY!” he yelled back into the house.

“WHAT?” the other boy called back. “AND IT’S _SAM_!”

“THERE’S SOME CHICK HERE TO SEE YOU!” Dean replied. A loud thump and a few distinctly heard curses later, Sam barged around the corner, his scarf hanging off one shoulder and only one shoe on.

“Jess?” he said in disbelief. The girl on the porch lifted her eyebrows.

“What? I _said_ you could come sled on my street. So come on!” she commanded. Sam looked like a fish out of water, his jaw moving without sound.

“He’ll be out in a minute, he has to put on his makeup first,” Dean told the visitor- Jess?- as he waved her inside.

“ _Dean_!” Sam hissed, mortified. Jess laughed, and shook her head at Dean’s invitation.

“I’ll wait outside, I’m sure Sam won’t be long.” Dean smiled at her and closed the door. The instant the latch clicked, Dean felt a sharp pain in his arm, and a scowling Sam glared up at him.

“That wasn’t funny, Dean!” Sam complained, his fists balled at his sides.

“Ah, c’mon, it was a little funny,” Dean replied lightly.

“No! Jess is… She’s really nice, okay? And… She always talks to me in the hallways, and…And with her, this is going to be the best snow day ever!” He seemed to be struggling for words to describe Jess, but Dean was no fool. He could see exactly what was going on here.

“Oh, Sammy,” Dean said with a melodramatic sigh, throwing an arm over his shorter brother’s shoulders, “Sammy, Sammy. Why didn’t you just say that you wanted to get in her pants?”

“Ew! Gross, Dean! That’s not- No!” cried Sam in bright red outrage, jumping out from under Dean’s arm.

“No shame in it,” continued Dean as though Sam hadn’t interrupted at all. “Just make sure you actually _do_ something about your crush, before she realizes how far she is out of your le-”

“Like _you_ don’t have a big crush on someone!” Sam interrupted with heat. “And you’re too scared to do anything about it!”

“What?” Dean scoffed, although his heart pounded a little faster. “I don’t have a crush on anyone!”

“Yeah, very funny,” Sam muttered sarcastically, and stomped back toward his room. Dean breathed a tiny sigh of relief, but decided maybe Sam’s blackmail was worth letting up the teasing. If Sam really did know how he felt about… Well, it wouldn’t be good for anyone. By the time Dean returned from the basement, two sleds tucked against his side, Sam was adjusting his hat and waiting by the front door. Dean handed over one of the plastic sleds with a wink.

“Sit close up to her, Sammy, maybe under all those layers-”

“DEAN!” Sam exclaimed, snatching the sled away and giving his best glare. He opened the door, ignoring Dean’s smirking face, and smiled at the girl rubbing her hands together on the porch.

“Ready,” Sam said simply, and, with a last perfect bitchface shot at Dean, closed the door behind him. Dean looked at the other sled in his hand and sighed. No need for two. Could have just brought Sammy one, and saved himself the extra weight coming up the stairs. Just as he started going back down to the basement, the doorbell rang again. Dean heaved a sigh and jogged back up the few stairs he had managed to cross moments earlier.

“Alright, Sammy, what is it, you break a frickin’ nail or someth-” Dean felt his voice leave him as he opened the door and realized it wasn’t Sam after all.

“Hello, Dean,” the visitor said in his already deep voice, and Dean felt his heart miss a beat or two.

“Hey, Cas!” he replied, with maybe too much excitement. Cas was still in his ever-present tan trenchcoat, the top of a black sweater peeking out from under the collar. He had a white hat perched on his head and a blue scarf wrapped around his neck, making the contrast of his dark hair and blue eyes even more prominent. Those damn blue eyes. Dean already felt as though he was sinking into them, like whole galaxies were welcoming him from the blue depths. It was an absolutely ridiculous sentiment, and Dean was aware of how stupid he sounded, even in his own head. Of course, that didn’t mean it wasn’t true.

“I was…” Cas shifts a little on his feet, his hands hidden deep in the pockets of his trenchcoat. “I was wondering if you’d like to join me in the snow. It seems wise to take advantage of the opportunities for winter activities during this rare snowfall.”

“Uh, yeah,” Dean responded quickly. “Sounds great, Cas! Do you, uh, wanna go sledding?” Like magic, Dean produced the oblong green plastic sled from behind him with a flourish. Cas didn’t look very surprised, to Dean’s disappointment, although he did look rather pleased.

“Sledding sounds like an optimal way to spend our time together,” Cas answered, and Dean was pretty sure that meant ‘yes’. He stepped outside to join Cas and closed the door behind him, checking to make sure it was locked. Hopefully Sam had gotten out the door with his key, and if not, well, he knew where the hidden one was.

“Don’t get too much of a chance for sledding ‘round here,” Dean commented as they began walking in unspoken agreement toward the park. “It’s about time we had a snow day off from school.”

“I agree,” Cas replied, their footsteps crunching in harmony through the snow on the road. “I usually prefer attending my classes, but today is a welcome interlude.”

“Nerd,” Dean teased him lightly, nudging Cas with his shoulder. Cas bumped him back, a small smile creeping over his face.

“It’s interesting,” he defended himself.

“Yeah, when I’m not _asleep_ ,” retorted Dean. A spray of snow from Castiel’s boot caught Dean by surprise, small pieces worming down under his collar to freeze him further.

“Oh, so _that’s_ how it’s going to be!” cried Dean, and used the sled as a shovel to fling snow back at Cas. The snow fight turned into a race to the park somehow, and soon, breathless and considerably warmer, Dean jogged into the park a few seconds after Cas.

“Does this mean you surrender?” Cas asked, a smirk underneath his reddened cheeks.

“Heck no!” Dean replied enthusiastically. “I’m just... biding my time.”

“Uh huh,” Cas said skeptically, even smugly, and Dean almost restarted the snow fight right then and there.

“Shut up,” grumbled Dean. “We need a good hill.”

“How about that one?” Cas suggested after a moment of surveying the landscape. The hill was certainly steep, but clear of trees for a considerable distance, and the top was relatively flat.

“Good work, buddy,” Dean declared, clapping his friend on the back and beginning the hike up the slope. Once at the top, Dean began settling the sled into the snow, enough so that it wouldn’t slide away instantly.

“Would you prefer to go first?” Cas asked, polite as ever.

“Nah, come on, let’s go together!” replied Dean, and started to get on the sled. “Wait, uh, do you want the front or the back?” To Dean’s surprise, Cas looked nervous, looking from the sled to the hill with trepidation. “What’s up, Cas?”

“I… I’ve never sledded before,” Cas admitted in a low voice. Dean stared at him incredulously.

“You… what? You’ve never been on a sled before? _Never_?” he repeated.

“I’ve never had the occasion,” Cas continued, looking more and more concerned about the imminent slope by the minute.

“Wow. Uh, well, I guess I’ll go first, and you’ll see what to do. Just… be careful, and, don’t, y’know, hit a tree or something,” Dean offered for advice.

“I shall attempt not to do so,” replied Cas with a wry smile. Dean shot him a grin and settled himself on the sled, lying on his stomach and using his hands to propel him toward the crest of the slope. In a few short seconds, the plastic edge tilted, and then with a loud whoop, Dean was shooting down the hill, cold wind forcing his eyes to water as he bumped over the clumps of grass and ice-coated sticks hidden under the snow. Finally, the hill leveled out, the sensation of flying leaving him, and the sled slowed to a halt. He rolled off, scooping up the sled and yelling triumphantly back up at Cas on his return walk.

“See? It’s easy! You’ll love it!” he cried, grinning widely. When he reached the top, he dropped the sled in the snow and grandly gestured for Cas to take a turn. Clearly dreading the coming slide, Cas slowly lowered himself onto the sled, awkwardly trying to copy Dean’s position on his stomach.

“Am I… in position?” Cas asked, the nervousness clear in his voice.

“You’re good to go! Remember,” Dean added as an afterthought, “If anything goes wrong, just roll off. You’ll be fine! Feel ready?” Cas nodded, his face set grimly, as though he were about to approach the guillotine rather than an innocent slope of snow. Gently, Dean took Cas’s soaked shoes in his hands and pushed. The sled went soaring down the hill, Dean watching closely for any signs of trouble, but Cas sailed smoothly the entire way until the sled came to a stop at the bottom of the hill. Dean watched his friend stagger upright, looking slightly drunk on his feet.

“You okay?” Dean shouted.

“That was extremely enjoyable!” Cas shouted back up the hill, and as he struggled back up the slope, Dean could clearly see the wide grin on his face, a rare sight.

“My turn!” announced Dean as soon as Cas reached the top, and grabbed the sled. He settled it in the snow and this time sat upright, using his hands and boots to inch toward the edge. One more push, and the sled tilted over. Dean quickly tucked in his legs and held onto the sides of the sled as it careened down the hill, narrowly missing a tree in his path. Again, he rolled off and grinned back at his friend on top of the hill. Cas took his turn, copying Dean’s seated position, but falling off halfway down, rolling the rest of the way. Dean was laughing uproariously as Cas sloughed his way back up the hill, his coat now covered with bits of ice and grass, but bright smile still intact. They continued to take turns, Dean coming up with more and more outrageous ways to ride a sled, resulting in everything from leaning back on it like a lawn chair (which made him go sideways) to using the sled as a snowboard (and falling on his butt after the first three feet). Cas seemed to disapprove of most of the positions, frowning when Dean stood up on the sled or went head first on his back, but whatever doubts he had about Dean’s judgement, Cas kept it to himself. Eventually, more people showed up with sleds or just plastic bins and lids to use as makeshift toys. Dean went so far as to borrow one of the tubs from another group there, and went back over to Cas, who was studying the hill with a focused squint.

“Hey, wanna race me?” Dean asked him, setting the storage bucket next to the crest of the hill.

“I do not think your plastic bin will have an equal chance,” Cas replied doubtfully.

“Ah, c’mon, Cas, give me a little credit! It’ll be fine,” Dean insisted, squeezing his limbs inside the tub. Castiel sighed, but placed the sled next to the bin and sat down.

“Are you ready?” asked Cas, hands ready to push off.

“Bring it!” replied Dean, and began scooting forward until the bucket was sliding down the hill. Cas passed him in a matter of seconds, shooting past him easily. Even after Dean stopped, Cas’s sled kept going for another several feet.

“No fair!” Dean cried, tipping the bin over and rolling out. “I was… off center!”

“Would you like a rematch?” Cas offered with a smug smile on his face.

“Yeah. But this time, _you_ get the box!” Dean demanded, jabbing a finger at Cas. The other boy shrugged, passing the sled over and taking the tub as they struggled up the hill together. Once more they positioned the two sleds beside each other and took their respective seats. With just a look exchanged, the two started pushing down the hill, and soon were rumbling down the hill side by side- well, until Dean passed Cas and shot off toward the woods long after Cas’s tub had ground to a stop.

“Ha! I beat you by a mile, Cas!” Dean shouted victoriously, stumbling to his feet and adjusting the scarf around his neck. Cas crawled out of the bin and fixed his incredible eyes on Dean.

“As I previously hypothesized, the difference in the sled and the plastic container is responsible for distance and speed,” Cas pointed out. His hat was lopsided and covered in snow, and his blue scarf was hanging unevenly around his neck, dripping snow melt. Yet it was somehow still ridiculously cute and attractive and- ugh. Cas just wasn’t playing fair. His very existence was already way out of Dean’s league, but now he had to go and be pink-cheeked, and red-nosed, and grinning like he’d won millions of dollars. It was too much. Dean broke the eye contact he hadn’t noticed they were keeping, and cleared his throat.

“Uh, so, you about ready to head home, Cas?” Dean asked.

“Could we perhaps go again?” Cas requested somewhat hesitantly. Dean sighed at the thought of walking back up the hill all over again, but agreed reluctantly. At the top of the hill, Cas put the sled on the ground while Dean returned the storage bin to the other sledders. By the time Dean turned around, Cas was already at the bottom of the hill, grinning up at Dean like he was looking at the sun.

Long story short, Dean was a softie. They ended up sledding long after the other people had all long gone, darkness beginning to creep in from the shadows of the trees and playground equipment behind them.

“Cas,” said Dean finally, his legs tired and his clothes soaked, “I think we should be getting back. Maybe you haven’t noticed, but it’s getting dark.”

“I am aware of the phenomenon of the sun setting, Dean,” Cas answered simply. “But I sincerely enjoy sledding.”

“You won’t if you hit a tree because it’s too dark to see,” Dean grumbled.

“Very well,” Cas finally agreed, shoulders drooping. “One last time?” he added very hopefully.

“Sure, Cas, last time,” Dean agreed, “But you go first, I don’t want to walk up the hill just to walk back down.”

“The logical solution would be to share the sled,” Cas pointed out wisely.

Oh. Oh _shit_. With those few words, Dean knew that his breathing stuttered, and fervently hoped Cas blamed it on the cold air. Sit pressed up against Cas on a sled? That sounded both like the best idea ever and the worst.

“Uh,” he tried to begin, then cleared his throat. “You sure that’s a good idea, Cas? Is that safe?”

“I always feel safe with you,” Cas shrugged, and damn, if that didn’t seal the deal nothing would. If Dean looked at Cas any longer his heart would explode. So he stepped toward the sled, and secured his hat, trying to control his pounding heartbeat.

“Uh, do you want the front or the back?” Dean

“You may choose,” Cas offered politely, although to Dean it sounded more like choosing a poison by which to die. Would it be worse to wrap his arms around Cas and glue himself to Cas’s back, or to have Cas pressed up behind him, holding his torso? Finally, after a pause that was probably way too long, Dean sighed and made a decision.

“Alright, I’ll take front.” He didn’t add the reason was the fear that if he sat behind Cas, he might start feeling him up, or worse, nuzzling his face into Cas’s hair. Neither one would end well. If Dean sat in front, well, he could lean into Cas a little extra and pass it off as trying not to fall off the sled. Dean sat on the edge of the sled, tucking his feet inside and bracing the sled in place with his hands. Cas was getting in at the back of the sled, the plastic wobbling a little as he settled himself behind Dean.

“Where, uh… Where should I place my feet?” Cas’s voice said directly behind Dean’s head.

“Just… Put them on my legs,” Dean finally got out. “If your feet drag it’ll slow us down.” Cas’s legs appeared, snow-covered black shoes gingerly settling on either side of Dean.

“Like so?” Cas clarified.

“Sure. As long as you’re not going to fall off the sled,” shrugged Dean. Cas seemed to hesitate a moment, and Dean could hear him breathing. Then Cas’s arms materialized around Dean’s torso, and Dean was entirely sure that was an unfair move. Cas’s front was pressed up against his back, close enough to feel Cas’s warmth through the layers of clothes and his breath gently tickling the hairs on the back of Dean’s neck. It was incredibly distracting.

“I’m ready,” declared Cas, and it took Dean a minute to process the words.

“Right. Yeah. Okay, hang on, Cas!” Dean pushed them over the top of the slope, and soon they were careening down the hill, snow spraying his face in the biting cold wind. He leaned back into Cas, trying not to be thrown off the bouncing sled, and realized he could hear Cas laughing. Dean let out a loud whoop, just as the sled hit a bump, and both its occupants went sprawling into the snow. Cas had his leg trapped somewhere under Dean’s stomach, and an elbow was digging into Dean’s back, and Dean could hardly figure out where his limbs were trapped because of the many layers of clothing, but their laughter was almost uncontrollable. Dean rolled to one side, trying to free himself and Cas, but somehow ended up directly underneath Cas’s face, their eyes locking. Laughter fading, Dean was suddenly aware of how close Cas’s lips were, how chapped and pink they looked. Cas’s mouth was slightly open, his breathing slightly faster from the excitement of the slide down, cheeks whipped pink from the wind. Cas’s actual expression was even harder to read than usual in the fading light, but his shining sapphire eyes were easy to find. Dean felt like he was floating, like the stars were melting into the snow around him, and it was just him and Cas in the entire universe. The time was perfect. Dean swallowed to gather his courage, raising his head just a few inches, and it looked as though maybe, just maybe, Cas was leaning down to meet him with his eyes partially closed-

“Hey! We’re about to come down, you might want to move!” Cas yanked his head back to look up at the person yelling at the top of the slope, one in a group of guys that had removed the wheels of their skateboards and looked to be prospective snowboarders.  Dean let his own head flop back in the snow, wanting to groan with frustration. Shit. He had been so close to actually making a move after _months_ of Castiel’s closeness driving him crazy. Now, Cas drew back carefully, Dean helping to untangle their limbs until they were both upright, avoiding each other’s eyes. Dean scooped up the sled, and sarcastically saluted the impatient snowboarders as he followed Cas toward the road.

“So,” began Dean, clearing his throat. Cas looked at him with polite interest. “D’you need a place to warm up? My house is closer than yours, and we’ve got hot chocolate.”

“I wouldn’t want to intrude,” Cas replied politely.

“Nah, you wouldn’t be intruding,” Dean assured him. “Sam will probably bring Jess in, too, and we’ve got plenty of mugs.”

“Very well,” Cas decided, giving Dean a small smile. “I would like that.” The walk back to the house was amiably quiet except for the crunch of snow, leaving Dean to silently struggle against the desire to hold Cas’s hand- so that they wouldn’t slip on the icy roads, of course. After what felt like an eternity, the teenagers veered off the road and up the porch steps to the front door. Dean unlocked it quickly and stepped inside, calling out to see if anyone else was back and receiving no answer. John was out of town again, some business trip, and apparently Sammy was still out with Jess, even though it was getting darker by the minute.

“Come on in, Cas, I’ll get some water heating,” Dean offered. Cas followed him inside, closing the door and glancing around curiously. Dean went into the kitchen and began the process of making hot cocoa. Water in the kettle, kettle on the stove. Cocoa powder in a box, box in the cabinet. Spoon the powder into mugs, pour the water, stir. The whole process only took a few minutes, and Dean left the materials out for Sammy whenever he came home. He turned back to Cas after turning the stove off, two steaming mugs in hand. Cas was sitting on the couch, straight-backed and proper, most of his winter clothing laid out neatly over the arm of the couch. Now he was clad in a white dress shirt, the collar sticking up and the top few buttons undone, and sleeves rolled up to his elbows. It was all Dean could do to not stare at the plane of Cas’s neck, or the dextrous hands tapping a rhythm on the brown couch.

“You have a lovely home,” Cas commented, forcing Dean to tear his gaze away from admiring Cas’s appearance. From anyone else, the comment would have sounded like an obligated statement, but from Cas it sounded like a genuine observation.

“Uh, thanks.” Dean cleared his throat and handed Cas a mug, sitting on the adjacent cushion with his own cocoa in hand. Silence again took precedence as the two sipped their drinks, exchanging small, shy glances and watching the snow fall outside in the quickly diminishing light.

“I…” Cas put his mug in his lap, staring outside at the snow as he spoke. “I really enjoyed sledding with you today, Dean. Perhaps we could do it again some time.”

“I’d like that, Cas,” Dean agreed readily. Cas turned to face him then, the ghost of a smile flitting across his face.

“You’re an excellent sledder,” Cas complimented him. Dean looked down at his half-empty mug, trying not to smile.

“Yeah, well, you weren’t so bad yourself. Especially for a first-timer,” Dean replied. “Didn’t even fall in the snow too much.”

“Yes. It was enough to get me wet and cold, though,” Cas added wryly, rubbing a hand on his arm.

“Are you cold?” Dean asked with sudden concern. “Dude, I got- Just wait a minute-” Dean jumped to his feet, placing the nearly empty mug on the ground and walking briskly to his bedroom. He threw open the door, grabbed the blanket off his bed, and returned to the living room.

“That wasn’t necessary, Dean,” Cas said quietly, but his gaze was warm.

“I can’t let my guest be cold, now, can I?” Dean responded with a quick smile.

“But are _you_ warm enough?” Cas inquired. “It would be unfair for you to be cold in your own house. I wouldn’t want to take your blanket if you’re going to freeze.”

“I’ll be fine, Cas. Don’t worry about it.” Dean settled back into the couch, sipping his cocoa. He stopped after a few seconds, noticing he was the focus of a very typical Cas squint.

“What?” he said somewhat defensively.

“I don’t want to use a blanket that you could be using,” Cas repeated himself firmly.

“Dude, I’m good. Really. Get warm.” Dean placed his empty mug on the floor, but Cas still hadn’t moved to use the blanket, his mouth set in a firm line.

“Cas-” Dean began, but Cas cut him off.

“Dean. I refuse to take solo advantage of your selfless generosity, however honorable it may be.” There was a small pause as the teenagers locked eyes, seeing who would blink first and give in.

“Here,” Dean sighed at last, looking away and draping half the blanket over himself. “If we _both_ use the blanket, will you be happy?” Cas said nothing, a strange look in his eyes as he studied Dean’s face intently. Dean shifted uncomfortably under Cas’s intense scrutiny. Just when it was bordering on disturbing, Cas finally decided to speak.

“Yes, that would be acceptable,” he said, and moved over to sit next to Dean, barely an inch away from touching him. Dean did his best to focus on draping the blanket over Cas, and not focus on how close he was. Cas tucked the blanket around himself, but in the process pulled it off Dean. Of course, Dean pulled it back, causing Cas to tug it away again, resulting in a mini tug-of-war game over the blanket, until Cas heaved a melodramatic sigh and scooted right up next to Dean, worming under the blanket and sighing happily.

“There,” Cas declared. “Are you warm enough, Dean?”

“Uh,” Dean gulped. Cas was basically cuddling him. He could feel Cas’s legs against his, and his slightly damp shoulder pressing into Dean’s own. Cas was actually kinda cold, but somehow, Dean didn’t mind very much. “Yeah, Cas. I’m warm. You good?”

“Perfect,” Cas sighed, and drained the rest of his hot cocoa, following Dean’s lead and placing his empty mug on the floor. In just a few minutes of their mutual quiet, watching snowflakes drift past the window, Dean felt his eyelids drooping. He fought with the drowsiness that was suddenly overtaking him, tried to focus on the fact that his crush was _literally right next to him_ on the couch, but even that did nothing to alleviate Dean’s exhaustion. The white noise of the heating turning on did nothing to drown out the soothing sound of Cas’s rhythmic breathing. Finally, despite his efforts, Dean found his eyes closing as he leaned into Cas, who was getting warmer and warmer, and slowly drifted off to sleep.

The sound of a door slamming jolted Dean back into consciousness, making him blink away sleep and sit up straighter. His shoulder felt strangely warm, and as he rejoined reality, he realized that feeling was from Cas. The hair on the right side of Cas’s head was sticking up wildly as he sat up next to Dean, looking at Dean through startled eyes. Apparently Cas had fallen asleep on Dean’s shoulder around the same time Dean had taken his own nap.

“Dean!” a voice came from the hallway. The teen in question looked over to Cas next to him, and started to scoot away, not wanting his brother to get the wrong idea about their closeness on the couch. Of course Sam barged in at that exact moment.

“Shit!” Sam cried, and covered his eyes from the sight of the two disheveled boys jumping away from each other on the couch. “Sorry! God, Dean, you have a room, use it!”

“Sam- We weren’t-” Dean cleared his throat, ignoring his beet-red face. “Cas was- That was just-” _Godammit._

“I do _not_ need to know the details! I mean, I’m happy you finally made a move on the massive crush you’ve been harboring, but in the _living room_? Really?” Sam, his hand still over his eyes, backed up with a hand groping for the doorway. “Don’t mind me! Find me, um, later.”

“Sam!” Dean tried one last time, but his brother had practically run down the hallway already. To Dean’s ears, Sam’s words seemed to echo in his wake, taunting Dean: “ _massive crush you’ve been harboring_ ”.

Cas knew.

After a few torturously long  moments, Dean turned his burning face toward Cas, too afraid to meet the blue eyes he liked so much. After Sam accidentally exposed his secret, it felt almost impossible to just be in the same _room_ as Cas.

“I… Uh, I didn’t- I don’t mean to... Cas, I’m- I’m so sorry,” Dean finally got out.

“For what?” Cas asked, and without looking, Dean could tell from that tone that Cas had his eyebrows scrunched together and his eyes narrowed into a squint, which resulted in a confused face that was beyond cute. But really, Dean had to say it again? Out loud? Right in front of Cas? He took a deep breath for courage.

“For having a crush on you,” he admitted in a small voice, staring at his hands and wishing he could sink to the core of the Earth. “I… I don’t know how you-”

“You… have a _crush_ on me?” Cas repeated, and Dean managed to drag his eyes up to look at Cas’s face. He looked confused, but at least not angry.

“Yeah,” Dean affirmed, bracing himself for the worst. For Cas to throw a punch, or yell at him, or to grab his things and walk out of Dean’s life for good.

“You. Have a crush. On _me_?” Cas said again, slowly, and now Dean was a little concerned. Did Cas hit his head while they were sledding or something?

“Yeah, Cas. I have for a long time,” Dean answered, nervously fiddling his fingers in his lap. Cas continued to stare at him dumbfoundedly, until Dean shifted uncomfortably in the couch.

“Say something, man. Throw a punch, get angry, it’s okay,” Dean tried to say, but Cas was already shaking his head.

“I don’t want to hit you, Dean,” Cas stated simply. “I’m not angry. In fact, I would like to do something else entirely, if you… agree to it.”

“What?” Dean gave Cas a confused look, trying to puzzle through the meaning of that sentence and getting nothing logical.

“Dean,” Cas began, now looking more nervous than confused, “I… I would very much like to kiss you now.”

Holy shit.

Dean’s head was reeling worse than the time he rode some sort of spinning ride at an amusement park and threw up afterward. His breathing accelerated, his heart rate shot through the roof, and he was fairly certain he’d never been this excited about kissing anyone in his entire life.

“Okay,” Dean said lamely, as soon as he got his (rather shaky) voice back. Cas’s eyes lit up as Dean leaned forward, sure his heart would beat right out of his chest at any moment. A small, breathless instant as they drew closer and closer, before their lips met.

It was clear pretty quickly that this was new for Cas, but Dean didn’t mind. He didn’t mind at all. They took their time, Cas moving closer hesitantly, until Dean pulled back and smiled a little drunkenly.

“Cas, you’re allowed to touch, you know,” he breathed. Apparently that was the green light Cas had been waiting for, because the next instant Cas was again kissing him, one hand fisted in the front of Dean’s shirt, and the other shakily running down his arm. Dean made some sort of happy sound against Cas’s mouth, and reached up, running his hands through Cas’s dark hair, letting the softness of the hair under his fingers and the fierce desperation of the kiss make fireworks of contrast. Without entirely planning it, Dean was leaning against the arm of the couch, Cas practically on top of him, learning the feel and taste of one another as though the world would end tomorrow.

“Cas…” Dean whispered, drawing back slightly to look into the blue eyes he’d watched for so long. “Cas, you… I would have done this a lot sooner if I wasn’t such a coward.”

“Me too,” Cas smiled. “I didn’t want to face the inevitable rejection.”

“Does this look like rejection?” Dean chuckled.

“Not exactly,” Cas grinned back, a tender look in his eyes that Dean hadn’t really noticed before. But, Dean realized, it had been there, hadn’t it? That look was there when Dean told Cas a joke, or explained something about his beloved music, or even when he came up with a new (insane) way to use a sled. Cas had been looking at Dean with more than admiration or friendliness maybe as long as Dean had been giving Cas the exact same look. Maybe longer.

“Cas,” Dean said mock-somberly, schooling his face into a serious frown, “I have a very important question to ask you.”

“Do you now?” Cas returned in the same faux-serious manner, working his way in between Dean and the back of the couch to lie next to him, limbs tangled up as badly as they had been in the snow. “Sure it has to be asked now?” Cas continued, running a hand through Dean’s hair so perfectly that Dean might just start purring.

“Yes, it’s a very serious question,” Dean continued, and wrapped an arm around Cas to pull them even closer. Their faces were hardly an inch away, so close that Dean could see the tiny light blue flecks in the dark blue of Cas’s eyes.

“And what’s that?” Cas asked, smiling a little.

“Will you date me, Cas?” Dean requested, giving him a dramatic pleading look.

“Let me think about it,” Cas replied teasingly, a grin tugging at his lips. “Perhaps I need time to consider.”

“Maybe I can convince you,” Dean answered, moving forward until he was kissing Cas again. It was several moments- possibly minutes- before Cas regained enough breath to answer.

“Yes, Dean. We can be boyfriends.”

The snow continued to fall, and when Dean asked Cas to spend the night since the roads were so icy and dangerous (of course there was no other reason whatsoever), well, how could Cas say no? Of course Dean sharing his bed, wrapped underneath the covers with Cas in his borrowed clothes, was just to keep them both warm.

Sammy had been right that morning, Dean reflected giddily, wrapped in Cas’s arms as they had been on the sled earlier. It really was the best snow day ever.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Can I get a comment? Feedback is always wonderful to see :)


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